Cheers to 28 Years!
Anniversary dinner at a restaurant we love, Dyron’s Lowcountry.
By Jan Walsh
Together Kev and I have lived life to the fullest for 28 years. And tonight, we choose Dyron’s Lowcountry for our special celebration. Dyron and Sonya Powell’s Mountain Brook restaurant has always been a favorite. And most recently we have a new reason to love Dyron’s...
Executive Chef, Chris Melville has become a trail blazer in the purge of seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, and corn oils) from restaurant kitchens. Rather than motor or vegetable oil, he fries with beef tallow and pan sears with clarified butter. For Chef Chris it is a moral imperative. “There is a war on the American public through the industrial food chain and a misinformation campaign that has convinced people of baseless pseudo-science like eating fats will 'clog arteries,' for example.” I agree. Most people do not understand the history of seed oils, which began with Crisco and led to rape seed (canola), with marketing campaigns that put them in every kitchen. Nor are many aware of recent research findings that specific fatty acids in processed vegetable oils lead to inflammation and chronic health conditions. With a desire to continue living life to the fullest, hopefully for much longer, I have been focused on clean eats for the past ten years. Thence Chef and I are kindred spirits. And following his lead, I have done the same oil purge in my own home kitchen and pantry… And with the latest research on micro plastics, I am now tossing plastics and avoiding purchasing food products in plastic. More coming on this in July’s Birmingham Restaurants Insider. Thus, dinner at Dyron’s is a choice we can feel good about.
General Manager, Charlie Hayes graciously welcomes us with anniversary wishes as he seats us at “our table.” Chef Chris steps out of the kitchen for hugs and congrats. And our server, Phillip pops the cork on a bottle of French Pinot Noir bubbly, Lucien Albrecht Crémant Rosé from Alsace. Cheers to 28 years!
Looking over tonight’s menu, we slather whipped butter on warm corn pones, just like Granny made. We start with one of our long-time favorites, Low Country Fry. What a joy to order food without first asking the oil used for frying! Along with the seafood we select the in-season Watermelon and Feta Salad. A golden menagerie of succulent fried oysters, shrimp, and red snapper arrives, presented Dyron’s style, atop a divine sauce gribiche. While Kev dives for more shrimp, I catch extra oysters. And we share the snapper, we both love, equally. The seafood pairs splendidly with the watermelon salad. Dressed in basil syrup and Balsamico, punctuated with serrano and feta, the salad is a synthesis of complex flavors that enhance, not overpower, the bright, juicy melon.
For main courses, after carefully considering the chop, filet, and veal, Kev settles on Prime Niman Ranch Grassfed Ribeye. Phillip is excited that Greg Abrams’ Black Grouper, is new to the menu tonight. It might as well read, “Jan Walsh’s Black Grouper,” because it has my name all over it. The ribeye arrives sizzling with aromas of guajillo butter, and is accompanied by spicy, billowy steak fries, and a crisp arugula salad with shaved pungent parmigiano Reggiano and ripe heirloom cherry tomatoes. Phillip awaits Kev’s first cut, to ensure the steak is perfectly cooked to order, which it is. From the first bite to the last, the steak is tender, moist, and boasts robust beefy flavor. My generous filets of grouper float on a scrumptious bed of lady pea Hoppin’ John, highlighted with Lemon Agrumato and accented with tomato and crispy capers. On first bite it tells the fish tale of its freshness... Oh, my! Never had a more pristine, flavorful fish. Tastes like it was caught at sunrise this morning before being cooked to perfection at sunset. Catch it if you can!
For dessert we share Strawberry Short Cake. End of season, local macerated strawberries glisten inside a buttery almond biscuit, alongside a dainty dollop of whipped crème fraiche. This spring’s rainy season has been kind to strawberries, bringing forth fragrance and depth of color. Sweet strawberry juice soaks through the bottom of the cake, kissing it with moistness, pink color, and berry flavors. And the cherry on top of dessert is when longtime server, Gerry who knows us well, stops by to wish us a happy anniversary. From the people to the food and wine, Dyron’s made our anniversary a night to remember.
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